Writing in The Daily Telegraph James Morrow pointed out that the Albanese government suffers from ‘tall poppy syndrome’—dividing the world in ‘workers’ (good) and ‘investors’ (bad).
The changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax seemed to be designed to hurt anyone who has worked hard all their lives in order to be able to invest a little to provide for the future.
Morrow writes: ‘Albanese’s appeals to the worst elements of Australia’s old tall poppy sentiments fits squarely into this frame.’
This whole ‘tall poppy’ language is certainly ours—it is an Australian coinage.
It first appeared in print in 1841 in a Victorian newspaper (the Portland Guardian published in the city of Portland on the far south-west coast of Victoria).
I once had a talkback caller on my radio show claim that this expression is not Australian at all—it goes back to ancient Rome, he said.
The truth is that the last king of Rome, Tarquinos Superbus, did have a policy of weakening a captured city by slaughtering its leading men.
The journalist, or editor, who wrote the story in the Portland Guardian may well have known the story of Tarquinos and had this in the back of his mind when he wrote about how ‘tall poppies’ were treated in the colony of Victoria.
But the English language compound noun ‘tall poppy’ is definitely an Australian coinage.
The longer expression ‘tall poppy syndrome’ is much later, but it is also ours—coined in 1979 to mean disparaging and denigrating successful people.
This had to be a much later coinage because ‘syndrome’ was not applied to a combination of opinions and behaviour until 1955.
By the way, Tarquinos was the last king of Rome because his behaviour was so horrific it provoked the rebellion that created the Roman Republic.
The latest issue of The Spectator Australia is in newsagents now -- with a cartoon of Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce fighting in 'The Odessey' on the front cover, and my 'Language' column in the back.
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